BECCA MARTIN-BROWN

bmartin@nwaonline.com

“Many people are familiar with ‘The Glass Menagerie,’” began Terry Vaughan, founder of Fayetteville’s Smokehouse Players. “You think you know the characters and how the action unfolds. I thought I knew it too until I saw a production that made me rethink everything.

“What I saw wasn’t a dreamy play about people trapped in the past,” she continued. “It was a dynamic family drama filled with love and passion. It made me interested in the script all over again.”

“The Glass Menagerie” will be presented at the Ozark Mountain Smokehouse Oct. 24-26. As always, admission is free, but donations on the first night benefit Magdalene Serenity House, a recovery community for women. Vaughan, who founded the theater company with husband Tim Gilster, says that’s what sets Smokehouse Players apart, as does the choice of “plays of note” like this one.

“Who wouldn’t want to sink their teeth into a classic award-winning script by Tennessee Williams that is considered one of the most poignant and unforgettable plays in American theater,” Vaughan enthused. “This play is brimming with love, longing, desperation and determination — yet peppered with wit and humor. And the icing on the cake is the opportunity to present this play in an intimate space that will make the audience feel like they are in the room where this family struggle is taking place.”

The premise of the story is that three people — Amanda Wingfield, the matriarch; Tom, her son; and Laura, her daughter — must try to make something of a life where money is in short supply and joy is even rarer. Into their world steps briefly hope — for love, for an easier life, for happiness. Tragically, all of those dreams are shattered like Laura’s favorite tiny glass figurine.

“Most productions of this play present the characters as trying to escape from the reality of the present by retreating into ‘another place,’” said Director Jonelle Grace Lipscomb. “Amanda is often presented as a woman who retreats into her youth as a Southern belle; Tom as a man who retreats into the make-believe world of the movies; and Laura as a young woman who retreats from the embarrassment of being ‘crippled’ into the make-believe world of her glass menagerie.

“Our approach to the play is one in which Amanda loves her children deeply and tries to shape them in such a way that they can survive in the changing and challenging world of the Depression. She believes what she is doing is the right thing.”

The heroine of the piece is generally considered to be Laura, portrayed in this production by Juliette Robinson.

“On the surface, Laura is gentle, agreeable, pleasant, kind, and compassionate,” she said. “But when you take the time to get to know her, she is all those things plus a heavy dose of magic — creative, imaginative, playful, warm, loving. Tennessee wrote in her character description that she is ‘too exquisitely fragile to move from the shelf.’”

Without success in the limited 1930s opportunities for women in business, Laura needs a “gentleman caller,” played by Bryan Guarino. He might be the hero, offering Laura one brief moment of hope, only to dash it.

As they are in 2024, he says, people in the drama “are struggling with their identities and to find purpose in their lives. This is the gist of the entire play.”

Brother Tom has always been the villain — but not this time, asserts Sam Ownbey, who portrays him. “Tom is young, curious, and independent. He feels he is running out of time to live the life of his dreams. He feels pushed into a corner and thinks fighting his way out is his only choice, no matter who might be caught in the crossfire.”

“There are no villains in our production,” agreed Vaughan. “Just desperate people doing the best they can in a terrible situation. There is so much love in this family. That is what makes it all so tragic.”

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FAQ

Smokehouse Players:

‘The Glass Menagerie’

WHEN — 7:30 p.m. Oct. 24-26; doors open at 6:30 p.m.

WHERE — Ozark Mountain Smokehouse, 1725 S. Smokehouse Trail in Fayetteville

COST — Admission is by donation; no reservations are taken

INFO — Email smokehouseplayers@gmail.com or call (479) 935-4219

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FYI

Smokehouse Players:

2025 Season

May 1-4 — “Doubt, A Parable” by John Patrick Shanley; directed by Juliette Robinson

Nov. 13-16 — “All My Sons” by Arthur Miller; directed by Billy Chase Goforth